Ride & Raft

by Viking Rafting · Horse riding · Reykjavík

5.00· 608 Google reviews of the operator

Beginners welcome
Fine on your own

Duration
8 hours
Difficulty
Easy
Season
All year
Starts in
Varmahlíð
Pickup
Meet at the start point
Guide
Guided in English
Departs
10:00
Minimum age
12
Cancellation
Cancelling costs 20% of the price within 365 days of departure, rising to 50% within 30 days.

About this experience

Usually, the day starts with the riding tour in the morning and in the afternoon, you will go rafting. This tour doesn’t require previous riding or rafting experience and is suitable for everyone.

Description from the operator, Viking Rafting. Prices and availability in the booking panel are live.

Where you go

Horseback riding
Family Rafting

Good to know

What to wear for Riding

Temperatures in the summer can range from freezing to 20° C, so be prepared for all kinds of weather. We recommend a sweater and a windproof jacket as well as gloves. Wear comfortable pants and strong shoes (hiking boots are fine). We will provide you with a helmet and rain gear, if necessary. In winter, we also provide a snowsuit. Please note that we require you to wear a helmet when riding with us, so if you’d like to wear a woollen hat or headband, make sure it’s a thin one and fits comfortably under a helmet.

If you are an experienced rider and want to bring your own riding clothes with you, they must be disinfected before you arrive. It is prohibited by Icelandic law to bring used riding gear including saddles, bridles, etc. into the country, as well as used leather riding boots, other leather riding wear or riding gloves. Riding clothes, rubber riding boots and any other gear should be machine-washed (min. 40°) or dry-cleaned (chemically cleaned), and disinfected with VirkonS®. More detailed information can be found here.

YOU BRING FOR Rafting:

- Thermal underwear / base layers

- Warm fleece top / wool sweater

- Fleece pants / extra long johns

- Thick wool socks / hiking socks (at least 1 pair)

- Dry clothes for after the river

- Any necessary medications (asthma inhalers, etc.)

Cancellation for this tour

Cancelling costs 20% of the price within 365 days of departure, rising to 50% within 30 days. If the operator cancels for weather or safety, you get a full refund or a new date.

If the weather cancels this tour

Iceland's weather is real. What usually stops this one is a forecast the operator judges unsafe. Here is exactly what happens to your booking.

1Viking Rafting decides, and tells us. Operators cancel when it is unsafe or pointless, and we back that call every time — we do not ask them to run anyway.
2We contact you by email, and by phone if your tour is the same or next day. You choose: another date if there is one you can make, or a full refund. There is no fee and nothing to argue.
3The refund goes back to the card you paid with, through Stripe, usually visible within a few working days. If this tour was one of several in your booking, the others are untouched.

What you do not get is the day back. If this is the only free day in your plan, put a spare day next to it — the planner leaves days free with the rest-day option. And if you want out because the forecast looks bad, that is your own cancellation: free until the cutoff shown above, the operator's policy after that.

Questions on the day: [email protected] · +354 497 1373. How cancellations work in Iceland →

Who this is not for

Not for families with children under 12 — the operator will not take them, even with a parent.

Read off the operator's own conditions. If none of it applies to you, this is a good one.

Why we list it

Viking Rafting is one of 207 operators we work with — chosen for reliability, honest descriptions and how they treat guests when weather changes plans. We don't list everything; we list what we'd book ourselves. The six checks every operator passes →

What travellers say about Viking Rafting

Read all 608 reviews on Google →

Operator rating 5.0/5 from Google — these are reviews of the company, not this specific tour. Shown as Google returns them, unedited.

Phillip Leon
★★★★★ · 3 months ago
Spectacular experience. The setting is amazing. The crew are joyful and engaging. Mr. A was our guide. His safety briefings have you engaged and prepared for what may come. It is cold water rafting so bring layers to tailor your needs to the conditions. Always better to be warm and need to cool off with a quick dip in the 40ish degree water. Bhalu is awesome. He loves his "job". It was an honor to have him in our boat. Check out his insta. I recommend getting lunch at the end of the big rapids trip. It truly is a delicious feast.
Alan Cammack
★★★★★ · a month ago
Excellent experience rafting the East Glacier River. The guides are all top notch, fun, and highly trained. Drysuits were provided which were well maintained. The trip was well manged and had a "safety kayaker," so we felt very well taken care of. This is one of the coolest ways to experience Iceland and this river in particular is one of the most beautiful I have ever seen. Would highly recommend!
Jan
★★★★★ · 3 months ago
We did the Whitewater Action Tour with Viking Rafting and honestly it was one of the best experiences in Iceland so far and i live here for 4 years straight. From start to finish everything felt safe, well organized, and just really fun. Huge thanks to all the team - Anup, the senior guide and boss, for running everything so smoothly and making sure we felt looked after the whole time. Saurav and Hari, the senior guides, were fantastic on the water, profesional, but also just great, fun people to be around. Sean and Naina kept the energy up and made sure everyone was having a good time, even when we were nervous before the bigger rapids. Mike got us safely to and from the river, and Camino and Andy took care of us at the camp with amazing food and a really warm welcome, it genuinely felt like being with friends rather than just staff. This whole team is talented, kind, and clearly loves what they do. We’ll definitely be back next time we’re in the area. Highly recommend to anyone looking for a real adventure with people who actually care!
Ewa Szewczyk
★★★★★ · a month ago
It was my first time and I am absolutely blown away! I didn't expect such an amazing experience with such fantastic guides. It was extreme, but thanks to the warmth and smiles of the whole team, I felt completely safe. Now I truly feel alive! Thank you to the entire crew for the great atmosphere and unforgettable emotions. Also, I highly recommend the meal that you can order on-site – it was simply delicious! Recommended from the bottom of my heart!”

Reviews from Google · updated 23 Oct 2026

Read before you book

River rafting in Iceland: east or west river?Both rafting rivers meet near Varmahlíð in the north. One is class 4 and adults only, the other is class 2 and takes children from six.
Best Horse Riding Tour in Iceland (2026): 4 PicksThe horse riding tours we would book ourselves: an easy lava-field ride near Reykjavík, the hot-spring valley, and longer rides for confident riders.
Horse riding in Iceland: the tölt and who it suitsIcelandic horses have a gait no other breed in Europe has. Here's what a riding tour really is, which combo to book, and who should stay on the fence.

Reviews from our travellers

Only people who booked this tour through us can write here. We publish every review in full — good or bad.

Reviews arrive the day after each trip — none yet for this one. After your tour we send one email asking how it was, and what you write goes here, unedited.

Horse riding — questions people ask

Can complete beginners ride Icelandic horses?

Yes, and most people on the tours are beginners. Icelandic horses are small, calm and used to novices, and the one- to two-hour rides on the farm tours (/experience/164615/, /experience/170834/) move at a walk with a taste of tölt, the smooth fifth gait the breed is known for. You get a helmet and a short briefing. If you have ridden before, tell the guide; they will match you to a livelier horse.

Why can't I call it a pony?

Because Icelanders will correct you, politely. The Icelandic horse stands around 13 to 14 hands, pony height elsewhere, but it has been bred as a horse for a thousand years with no outside blood since the settlement. It has five gaits, including tölt and the flying pace. Once a horse leaves Iceland it cannot come back, to protect the herd from disease. Call it a horse; the guides will like you more.

Can I bring my own riding gear to Iceland?

Only if it has been disinfected. Iceland has strict rules to protect its horses from foreign disease: used riding clothing, gloves and boots must be disinfected before entering the country, and used leather tack, saddles and bridles are not allowed at all. The stables provide helmets and rain overalls, so most people bring nothing. Wear long trousers and closed shoes with a small heel if you have them.

Is there a weight limit for horse riding in Iceland?

Yes. Icelandic horses are small, and most stables set a rider weight limit somewhere around 100 to 110 kilograms, sometimes lower for longer rides. The tour page states the exact limit, and stables do enforce it on the day. If you are close to the limit, email us before booking and we will check with the operator. Minimum ages also apply, usually six to eight for a farm ride.

Hotels

Where to stay for this tour

From the cheapest to the top end of what is near Sauðárkrókur, from our hotel partners. Rooms are booked on our hotels site.

All hotels in North Iceland →

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No price available

Viking Rafting has not published a price for this tour, so it cannot be booked here right now. We never show a price we cannot stand behind.

Your date

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Departs10:00

· Cancelling costs 20% of the price within 365 days of departure, rising to 50% within 30 days.
✓ Instant confirmation by email
✓ If Viking Rafting cancels for weather or safety: a full refund, or another date
✓ Card — Apple Pay or Google Pay where your device offers it — through Stripe; the charge is made in Icelandic krónur
✓ Price promise: Viking Rafting's own price, or we refund the difference
✓ One checkout, even with tours from several operators
✓ Vetted operator — the six checks every operator passes